Gender Patterns of Crime Flashcards
What proportion of convicted offenders are male?
4 out of 5
What is the most common crime committed by women?
Shoplifting
What is the most common crime committed by men?
Violent/sexual offences
What are the 3 topics within gender patterns of crime that you could be asked about?
Why do women APPEAR to commit less crime
Why do some women commit crime?
Why do men commit crime?
What is Pollack’s theory called?
The Chivalry Thesis (1950)
What is the chivalry thesis?
The idea that women are less likely to be prosecuted for offences. The CJS is lenient towards them
Why does Pollack argue that women are less likely to be prosecuted for offences?
He says that men have a protective attitude towards women so a less willing to arrest/prosecute them
What studies act as evidence FOR the chivalry thesis? (p.29 of the booklet)
Graham & Bowling
Ministry of Justice (2009)
Roger Hood
What studies act as evidence AGAINST the chivalry thesis? (p.29 of the booklet)
Farrington & Morris
Buckle & Farrington
Box
What is Functionalist sex role theory, and who created it?
Parsons (1955) - girls are socialised into the expressive role (at home), compared to the instrumental role for boys (outside of home)
How can we evaluate Functionalist sex role theory?
Feminism - ignores the role of patriarchy in creating gender differences in offending
What is Patriarchal Control, and who created it?
Heidensohn (1985) - women are controlled at home, in public, and at work, so they don’t have opportunities to commit crime
Patriarchal Control: how are women controlled at home?
Through housework/childcare taking up their time, bedroom culture, and the threat of domestic violence
What is bedroom culture?
Girls’ tendencies to be involved in hobbies that can be done at home in their bedroom, like reading and playing with dolls, which develops from childhood
Why don’t boys experience bedroom culture?
They are more likely to be encouraged to play outside as children
Patriarchal Control: how are women controlled in public?
The threat of male sexual violence, reports of sexual assault and rape, cat calling, male gaze
Patriarchal Control: how are women controlled at work?
They are kept in subordinate positions and limited in progression by the glass ceiling
How can we evaluate Patriarchal Control?
Liberation Thesis - women have been freed from patriarchy so their offending is now similar to men’s
What are the Class & Gender Deals, and who created them?
Carlen (1988) - women have two options (or deals) for their life course which lead to them conforming: a class one, and a gender one
What is Carlen’s class deal?
Women can enter the working world and earn enough money to support themselves
What is Carlen’s gender deal?
Women can take the traditional expressive role in a family and get money/love in return
How do Carlen’s deals lead to crime?
Women who don’t receive what they were promised from either deal turn to illegitimate ways to earn a living
How can we evaluate Class and Gender deals?
Carlen’s sample was small and consisted most of female serious offenders, so isn’t very representative
What is Liberation Thesis, and who created it?
Adler (1975) - women are becoming liberated (freed) from patriarchy’s control in all areas of life, including crime
What kinds of crime do women commit according to Liberation Thesis?
Not just traditional female crimes (e.g. shoplifting, prostitution), but also traditional male crimes (e.g. taking senior positions in criminal networks)
How can we evaluate Liberation Thesis?
The female crime rate began rising in the 1950s, before the women’s liberation movement in the 60s, suggesting something else is causing the increase
What factors can we use for this topic area:
Why do women APPEAR to commit less crime?
Chivalry Thesis (evidence for and against needed. Pg 29 of the booklet)
What factors can we use for this topic area:
Why do women COMMIT less crime than men?
Functionalist sex role theory (Parsons)
Patriarchal Control (Heidensohn)
Class & Gender Deals (Carlen)
Liberation Thesis (Adler)
What factors can we use for this topic area:
Why do men COMMIT crime?
Hegemonic masculinity (Messerschmidt)
Postmodernity, masculinity, and crime (Winlow: Sunderland Bouncers)
Bodily Capital (Sunderland)
What is Messerschmidt’s theory called?
Hegemonic Masculinity
What is Hegemonic Masculinity?
The dominant idea about what it means to be a man. Men must earn ‘masculinity’ as a resource through certain acts
How does Hegemonic Masculinity lead to crime?
Men can use crime and deviance as one way to earn masculinity. This is different for different men (page 32 of the booklet)
How can we evaluate Hegemonic Masculinity?
This doesn’t explain why not all men use crime to accomplish masculinity, and it doesn’t seem to explain all crime (e.g. tax evasion)
What is the Sunderland Bouncers study, and who created it?
Winlow (2001) - Shows how the loss of traditional male jobs in Sunderland (e.g. mining) caused some men to turn to the nighttime leisure economy and crime to earn masculinity
How can we evaluate Winlow’s Sunderland Bouncers study?
Support: It demonstrates how the expression of masculinity changes with the move from an industrial to postmodern society
What is Bodily Capital, and which theorist talks about it?
Winlow - Men with large, muscular bodies can use this advantage to discourage physical challenges and get involved in certain crimes
How does Bodily Capital lead to crime?
Certain crimes are easier to commit with a large body, e.g. intimidation, physical fights, muggings
